Liam Takes a Stand

Troy Wilson

TROY WILSON has had a number of stories published in children’s magazines, including Chirp and chickaDEE. Liam Takes a Stand is his fourth picture book. He never ran a lemonade stand as a kid, and he claims he never competed with his younger brother — except when they played video games. Troy lives in Victoria, British Columbia.

Josh Holinaty

Josh Holinaty is an illustrator whose works include public art commissions and book, magazine and newspaper illustrations. His previous books include the Norma Fleck Award finalist A Beginner's Guide to Immortality: From Alchemy to Avatars. Originally from Alberta, Josh now lives in Toronto, Ontario, with his wife Genevieve and their dog, Jack, eater of socks.

Lister and Lester are identical twins who do identical things. But their constant striving to outdo each other means their little brother, Liam, is always left out. When Lester’s Lemonade Universe and Lister’s Lemonade Multiverse open for business, there’s no role for Liam. He does odd jobs around the neighborhood while Lister and Lester’s competition spirals into overdrive and their lemonade stands get increasingly, outrageously out of hand.

But then Liam takes a stand with his own business venture — a simple model based on his observations of what not to do — and gives the twins a run for their money. Illustrated with lively cartoon-style art highlighting the hilarious one-upmanship, this is a spirited underdog story about siblings and strategic thinking.

"Budding entrepreneurs and readers with rivalrous siblings are bound to find it entertaining." - School Library Journal

"Parents, teachers, and caregivers can use this amusing book to teach a lesson about what can happen when competition between friends or siblings gets a little out of hand." - Resource Links

"Perfect for anyone with a competitive friend or sibling, Liam Takes a Stand shows that work, play, and a bit of creativity can make even the fiercest competitions a lot of fun. Highly recommended." - Canadian Review of Materials